United States of America [U.S.A]

Negara ini dikenal dengan sebutan Negara Paman Sam.

Pada zaman dahulu, negara ini dianggap sebagai negara adikuasa bersama dengan Uni-Soviet dan Britania Raya. Sejak awal terbentuk hingga kini, negara ini menjadi maju dan terkenal karena beberapa ilmu teknologi yang ditemukan-dikembangkan-dan digunakan dalam kehidupan sehari-hari. Di zaman sekarang negara ini juga sangat banyak peminatnya untuk tinggal secara menetap atau menetap sementara hanya untuk bekerja-pendidikan-hidup aman dan nyaman,dll. 

Banyak para pemuda zaman sekarang yang pergi ke negara ini untuk melanjutkan studi lanjutan seperti Universitas-High School-Junior High School-Diploma,dll dan saat kelulusan tiba, yang artinya tibalah waktunya kembali ke negeri asal mereka. Tetapi yang mereka lakukan adalah meminta pertambahan ijin tinggal dan semakin hari mereka akan susah untuk meninggalkan negara ini. Mengapa? Karena fasilitas teknologi dan kebutuhan hidup di negara ini lebih banyak dan untuk bekerja akan diberikan penghasilan tinggi pula. Walaupun biaya/taraf hidup di negara ini sangat tinggi. Contohnya pelajar dari ID yang baru lulus 

SMA dan melanjutkan study abroad.

Kalian tentu tahu bahwa negara ini juga memiliki statue terkenal yaitu Liberty. Apakah kalian sempat berpikir mengapa diciptakan statue tersebut? Untuk apa diciptakan itu? Berapa tingginya? Sejarahnya seperti apa? Yuk, mari lihat foto ini:

Yang sudah pernah berkunjung kesini, apakah kalian tahu arti dari benderanya?

Berapa banyak bintang dan garis merah-putih pada bendera negara amerika?

Sesuai design, pada bendera amerika terdapat 50 bintang putih dalam kolom biru dan 13 garis merah-putih (berseling). Yang membuat adanya 50 bintang putih pada bendera itu adalah Robert G.Heft.

Hanya sebuah bendera negara namun juga memiliki sejarah. Berikut cuplikan fotonya:

History of China's Great Walls

The history of the Great Wall is said to start from the Spring and Autumn Periods when seven powerful states appeared at the same time. In order to defend themselves, they all built walls and stationed troops on the borders. At that time, the total length of the wall had already reached 3,107 miles, belonging to different states.

In 221 BC, the Emperor Qin absorbed the other six states and set up the first unified kingdom in Chinese history. In order to strengthen his newly born authority and defend the Huns in the north, he ordered connecting the walls once built by the other states as well as adding some sections of his own. Thus was formed the long Qin's Great Wall which started from the east of today's Liaoning Province and ended at Lintao, Gansu Province.

In the Western Han Dynasty, the Huns became more powerful. The Han court started to build more walls on a larger scale in order to consolidate the frontier. In the west, the wall along the Hexi corridor, Yumenguan Pass, and Yangguan Pass was built. In the north, Yanmenguan Pass and Niangziguan Pass in Shanxi were set up. Many more sections of the wall extended to Yinshan Mountain and half of the ancient Silk Road was along the Han's wall.

The Northern Wei, Northern Qi and Northern Zhou Dynasties all built their own sections but on a smaller scale than the walls in the Han Dynasty. The powerful Tang Dynasty saw peace between the northern tribes and central China most of the time, so few Great Wall sections were built in this period.

The Ming Dynasty is the peak of wall building in Chinese history. The Ming suffered a lot by disturbances from minority tribes such as the Dadan, Tufan and Nuzhen. The Ming court from its first emperor to the last ceaselessly built walls in the north. The main line started from Jiuliancheng near the Yalu River in the east to the Jiayuguan Pass in the west and measured over 4,600 miles. Besides adding many more miles of its own, the Ming emperors ordered enlargement of the walls of previous dynasties into double-line or multi-line walls. For example, out of Yanmenguan Pass were added three big stone walls and 23 small stone walls. Eleven Garrisons were distributed along the main line of the wall. The countless walls, fortresses, and watch towers made the country strongly fortified. In the early Qing Dynasty, some sections of the walls were repaired and several sections were extended. This great engineering work stopped in the middle of the Qing Dynasty.

Owing to its long history, natural disasters and human activities, many sections of the Great Wall are severely damaged and disappearing. Being a world-famous engineering project and witness to the rise and fall of Chinese history, the Great Wall, needs us to take immediate action to protect it!

Source: travelchinaguide.com

The Maps of China's Great Walls

Badaling Great Wall

Location: Yanqing County, 43 miles north of Beijing
Features: the most visited and first opened section, noted for its grandness and popularity
Length: 2.3 miles
Hiking level: average (with some ups and downs and uneven surface)
Duration: 2 hours
Facilities: cable car, pulley
Nearby attraction: Ming tombs, Sacred Way, Juyongguan Pass, Water Pass, Bear Garden
Entrance fee: CNY 45 (Apr. 1 to Oct.31); CNY 40 (Nov.1 to Mar.31)

Juyongguan Pass

Location: Changping County, 37 miles from Beijing
Features: military stronghold in history, delicate brick carvings
Length: 2.6 miles
Hiking level: average (with some ups and downs and uneven surface)
Nearby attraction: Badaling, Water Pass
Entrance fee: CNY 45 (April 1 – Oct.31); CNY 40 (Nov. 1 – March 31)

Huanghuacheng Great Wall

Location: Jiuduhe Town, Huairou District, 40 miles from Beijing
Features: the unique Great Wall on water, beautiful yellow flowers
Length: 6.7 miles
Hiking level: average (with some ups and downs and uneven surface)
Facilities: no cable car
Entrance fee: CNY 25

Jiankou Great Wall

Location: Xizhazi Village, Huairou County, 59 miles from Beijing
Features: dangerousness, steepness, beautiful scenery
Length: 9.3 miles from “The Ox Horn Edge Wall” to “The Nine-Eye Tower”
Hiking level: difficult, only recommended to group travelers who have enough hiking experience
Facilities: no cable car
Duration: 4 hours walk from Mutianyu to Zhengbeitai
Nearby attraction: Mutianyu

Mutianyu Great Wall

Location: Huairou County, about 45 miles from Beijing

Features: beautiful mountain scenery, compact layout, less crowded visitors

Length: 1.4 miles

Hiking level: easy (newly repaired surface with gentle inclines)

Facilities:cable car, sports slide

Duration: 2 hours

Entrance fee: CNY 40
Nearby attraction: Jiankou

Gubeikou Great Wall

Location: northeast of Miyun County, 62 miles to Beijing
Features: most parts are deserted,
which present a beauty of wildness
and historical vicissitudes
Length: 25 miles
Hiking level: average (with some
ups and downs and uneven surface)
Facilities: no cable car
Duration: 2 to 3 hours
Entrance fee: CNY 20

Simatai Great Wall

Location: Gubeikou Town northeast of Miyun County, 75 miles (3 hours drive) from Beijing

Features: steepness, queerness and intactness

Length: 3 miles (from Wangjing Tower to Jinshanling)

Hiking level: difficult, only recommended to travelers who have enough hiking experience

Facilities: cable car

Duration: about 3 to 5 hours from Simatai to Jinshanling

Entrance fee: CNY 40

Jinshanling Great Wall

Location: Luanping County in Hebei Province, 93 miles (3 hours drive) northeast from Beijing
Features: primitiveness and majesty
Length: 6 miles from Wangjing Tower in the east to Longyukou in the west
Hiking level: difficult, only recommended to travelers who have enough hiking experience
Facilities: cable car
Duration: about 3 to 5 hours from Jinshanling to Simatai
Entrance fee: CNY 50 (Mar. 15 - Nov. 15); CNY 40 (Nov. 16- the next Mar.14)

Huangyaguan Great Wall

Location: Ji County, Tianjin, 62 miles (3 hours drive) northeast of Beijing
Features: one of the ten most-visited sites in Tianjin and the miniature of China Great Wall
Length: 26 miles
Hiking level: average (a repaired wall, most parts are flat except some ups and downs)
Facilities: no cable car
Duration: 2 to 3 hours
Entrance Fee: CNY 45 (Nov.1 - Feb.28); CNY 50 (Mar.1 - Oct.31)

source: travelchinaguide.com